


somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me

by AbeTheDadtm



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Established Relationship, Family, First Kiss, Holidays, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Other, Paganism, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 07:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16909017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbeTheDadtm/pseuds/AbeTheDadtm
Summary: Caleb and Molly have been talking online for a while. Now they've arrived at the airport and Caleb is happy.





	somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pastelNothing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelNothing/gifts).



> This is a gift for my datemate pastelNothing. Love you babe.

Caleb held the sign he and Nott and Mama had made the night before. The glitter was shedding faster than the snow was falling outside, but it suited Molly perfectly, with too many colors and stickers and hearts. Christmas music was playing over the intercom as people poured in from nearby flights. He craned his neck, scouring for the purple-haired tiefling coming in with the crowd. But then, he saw them, coming down an escalator in fluffy pink pajamas and a heavy embroidered coat. They were here. In the same space he was in. He was shocked to even think about it. They hurried down the escalator as fast as they could and practically jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

“You're here,” they said, a bit shocked. “I can touch you!”

“I know. You're here, too!” Caleb smiled and gave them a big kiss on the cheek. 

They stood there for a moment, red eyes blinking from behind bright purple glasses, nose inches from his. He cupped their face and brought them in for a kiss. Their first kiss. His first kiss. Caleb’s heart fluttered. Their lips were so soft, a bit slippery with lip balm, and their cheek was so warm in his hand. Caleb pulled away and looked at Molly. They beamed and giggled. “That was amazing,” they said.

“It was!” Caleb smiled and leaned back in for another kiss.

Molly pecked him gently and tugged on his coat. “Let’s head over to baggage claim, love.”

“Good idea.” Caleb took their hand and led them to the baggage claim area for their flight. “What does your luggage look like?”

“It’s got a peacock feather pattern on it and it’s blue.”

“Of course it is,” Caleb laughed.

As they waited, Molly took their time to admire the little poster with their name on it. “Did you make this?”

“Me, Nott, and Mama and I did,” said Caleb. “We got a bunch of glitter and stickers and went crazy. Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it. Definitely hanging this up in my apartment.”

“Next to the Tusk Love poster?”

“You know it.” Molly kissed Caleb once again. Caleb had worried so much that they wouldn’t gel in person, but their interactions were as natural as breathing to them. “So, after we get my luggage, where are we headed?”

“My parents’ place. I sent Mama all of your Yule recipes so we can celebrate there with you. That sound good?”

Molly smiled and buried their head in Caleb’s neck. “Oh, you absolute sweetheart. Did you get a Yule log?”

“Scheisse. I knew I forgot something!” Caleb groaned. He’d wanted this to be perfect.

“That’s alright. We can get one on the way to your place, okay? No big deal.”

Caleb nodded. “Right. No big deal.”

The baggage claim began moving and in another ten minutes, Caleb hauled Molly’s luggage off the conveyor belt and led the way out into the parking lot. Outside was cold, and their breath turned into little puffs of clouds. “It’s freezing,” Molly shivered.

“Ja, that’s New York for you.”

“I’m a fragile Californian flower.”

“Northern California can get cold, can’t it?”

Molly huffed. “I’m a fragile southern Californian flower.”

“Fair.”

Caleb opened the car and they piled their suitcase in the trunk next to his and their laptop case in the back seat before getting into the car and turning up the heat. Molly rubbed their arms as they shivered. “Should’ve worn gloves,” they said, pressing their hands against the vents as warm air blew through.

“There’s a button on the side of your seat that warms your butt,” said Caleb as he turned his seat warmer on.

“Thank you, love,” said Molly as they pressed the button, snuggling up to the feeling. “Oooooooh. That feels good. Nice and toasty.” As Caleb pulled out of the parking lot and into the road, Molly asked, “Can we turn on the radio?”

“Ja, but all you’ll get is Christmas music,” said Caleb.

“I know, I know,” said Molly, turning on the radio, blasting “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.” “Maybe I want some Christmas music.”

Caleb nodded. “Ja, fair.”

“Is it annoying? I know it must be, being Jewish and all that.”

With a shrug, Caleb said, “Eh. Sometimes it gets a bit excessive. Like Christmas stuff coming out before Halloween? That’s bullshit.”

 

“I know, right? Halloween is sacred. Stop corrupting it and Christmas by bringing Christmas in before Halloween.”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah,” said Molly. They adjusted their hair and checked their glasses. “Sorry I look like shit, by the way. I might have to dive into a bathroom to change before I meet your parents.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Mama once met my girlfriend in a bathrobe with curlers in her hair. Full 1950s stereotype. She was even doing her nails, I think.”

Molly dramatically gasped. “You had a girlfriend before me?”

“Ja,” said Caleb. “And a boyfriend. Astrid and Wulf. Old college friends. Didn’t last, but Mama loved them all the same. She’ll love you. So will Papa. You’ll get along with them like thieves when you meet them.”

“I think you mean we’ll be thick as thieves.”

“Whatever the phrase is.”

During the lulls in traffic, Caleb and Molly held hands. Getting out of the city was hell but by the afternoon they were out in the suburbs. They stopped at a grocery store to get firewood and for Molly to change into their proper outfit. When Molly exited the bathroom, they had on their coat, but underneath it was a purple turtleneck sweater with hand-embroidered flower designs and old bellbottom jeans with patches sewn onto the hips. 

Caleb smiled at his datemate. “You look adorable, meine Liebling.”

“Aw, thanks baby,” said Molly, blushing. “Got the Yule log?”

“Yep.” Caleb hefted up the bag of firewood. “Hopefully we’ll find one in there that’s good enough.”

“I’m sure we will,” said Molly. They took his free hand and headed out into the cold, hurrying to the car, trying to put their stuff away as quickly as possible. Snow started to fall, and when they sat down in the car, Caleb could see snowflakes in their eyelashes. He pecked them on the cheek as he buckled himself in. “You ready to meet Mama and Papa now?”

“Hell yeah,” said Molly, who was buckling themselves in and turning on the butt warmer.

Caleb pulled out of the grocery store parking lot. “It won’t be long now. Maybe ten minutes if the traffic’s really bad, but knowing this town, it probably won’t even be that.”

Molly’s tail moved to their lap, waving excitedly. “I’m so excited to meet them! I’m a big fan of their work.”

That made Caleb snort.

Molly laughed at the noise. “I’ve never heard that noise come from someone as cute as you.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” said Caleb, smiling.

The ride was mercifully short, and they arrived at a nice, two-story Victorian with a little dreidel flag in the front yard. Caleb helped Molly with their stuff and led them inside. The house was neat and tidy, with antique decorations and pictures of Caleb everywhere. A TV was playing in the background.

“Mama, Papa, we’re home!” called out Caleb.

A short, frizzy-haired woman with 1950s-style glasses and an apron covered in flour poked her head out from around the corner. “Oh, hallo!” she said, with a heavy German accent. “Let me get your Papa, Caleb.” She took off her apron and went to the living room, saying, “David, Caleb and Molly are here!”

“Coming!” said another heavily accented voice, this one male. A tall, thin man with red hair, freckles, and wiry glasses came in. He wore a blue sweater, obviously hand-knit, and khaki pants. “Hallo!” he said, waving and approaching Molly. “You must be Molly!” He reached down and hugged Molly tight.

“Yes, that’s me,” said Molly. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Widogast!”

Caleb’s mother hugged Molly after his father was done. “Oh, honey, call us Mama and Papa here. You’re family.”

“Aw, thank you,” Molly said. “What are you making? Something smells heavenly.”

“Caleb’s favorite challah,” said Mama.

“Ooooh, sounds amazing,” said Molly.

“I got the guest room ready for you two,” said Papa. “Let me get your suitcase, and I can take you up there.”

Papa took the suitcase from Molly and led them upstairs, while Caleb set down the Yule logs and hauled his luggage up the stairs. 

The guest room was a smallish, yellow room with a small closet and a queen bed and a little desk and a chair in the corner. The rest of the walls were lined with bookshelves, which were covered with all sorts of books, from books on the Kabbalah to books about Victorian England to schlocky mystery novels and a whole floor-to-ceiling shelf of children’s books. Molly even found a copy of Tusk Love in between a Cold War spy novel and an instructional book on how to speak Yiddish. They could see where Caleb’s love of books came from.

“Dinner will be around six, so you guys have an hour to settle,” said Papa, setting down Molly’s bag. “If you want to read some of the books, feel free. I know Caleb will have his hands on them soon enough.”

“You know me well, Papa,” said Caleb with a laugh. He took off his jacket and hung it up in the closet, then took off his gloves, boots, and socks. 

Papa nodded and left the room.

Molly kicked off their shoes and sat down on the bed, smiling and biting their lip. “Hey there, stranger.”

“Hey.” Caleb sat down next to them, fingers interlacing with theirs. “You’re at my parents’ house.”

“I am,” they said.

“With me.”

“I know.”

Caleb smiled like a goof and leaned in close, close enough that his lips traced over Molly’s when he spoke. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

They leaned in and kissed him as snow fell outside.


End file.
